Protective device.



E. E. F. CRHGHTUN.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, mm.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

Fig. 1.

HIS AT THE NELY l WTNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELHEB E. F. CRE IGHTON, E SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL I ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE.

,To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Emunn E. F. OHEIGH- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenec- 5 tady, State of New York, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Protective Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the protection of systems of electrical destribution and more particularly to the indication and detection of hi h frequency disturbances or other overvtfitage phenomena upon electrical transmission lines 'l'heo'bject 'of my invention is to provide a noveldctecting and indicating apparatus for use upon a. transmission system to detect the occurrence of high frequency disturb ances upon the system, due to either a faulty lfltfeeder or to other transient causes, uumisitakably indicating the high frequency con- :dition to an, perator. A further ob ect of my invention is to provide a protective device which is accurately selective to indicate .5;. when the high frequency conditionon the system isdue to a faulty feeder and not only select-the feeder upon which the fault occurs but also the faulty phase of that feeder. The occurrence of high frequency dis- 30. turbances upon modern transmission systerns, due to av faulty feeder or to other -transient causes upon the system, such as lightning discharges and other surges, is

well known and various means have been devised to either conduct these disturbances to ground'or to dissipate their energy as heat. The resent devices used, give no visual or audible indication to the operator when a high frequency disturbance occurs 40 upon the system, so that he often acts to the detriment of service. conditions,

' ause he is unaware of the existence of a detructive high frequency condition. It is most essential for an operator to know when 16 these: high frequency disturbances occur pfizizthe system, by means of some unmis- 1e signal such as a visual or audible indication which cannot bemisinterpreted. 'fain' it is essential, to maintain the conti- I0 .mnty of,-the service, that the protective dejuice not only indicate the presence of a high frequency conditionu line but also Specification of Letters Patent.

' pended hereto.

merely be- Patented Nov. 12. 1 918.

Serial No. 811,840.

can be quickly lofrequency v My invention can not only be used to do tcct a high frequency disturbance upon the system due to a transient cause, such as an induced lightnin discharge, but also to detect a faulty fee( er and is selective to indicate not only the feeder upon which the fault occurs but also the faulty phase of the faulty feeder.

.A protective device which will perform these functions, is the subject matter of this application, the novel features of which will be definitely indicated in the claims up be more clearly underto the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows, dia grammatically, and merely for purposes of illustration, an electrical conductor embodying the novel features of my invention, and Fig. 2 shows, diagrammatically, my invention as applied to the protection of the feeders of a transmission system whereby the protective device is made accurately selective to indicate not only the faulty feeder but also the faulty phase of the faulty feeder.

In Fig. 1 is shown the primary 1 of F current transformer located in one phase of the line to be protected. The circuit through the secondary 2 of the curcnt transformer forms an auxiliary circuit which is closed through a high frequency detector 3. Any

My invention will stood by reference device which willgive a visual indication or otherwise indicate a high frequency disturbance' can be used, but what I prefer to use in this connection, is a detector com prising terminals 4, preferablyof the ho gap type, suitably mounted in an evacuated bulb 5 to form a spark gap. In the auxi} iary circuit arranged in shunt with the d ftector 3 is a reactive coil 6, the inductanK of which is so proportioned, that under no mal conditions of the circuit, the drop voltage due to impedance,- acrosstlie ,1; bive coil is not suflicient to'causeitdischar ross t a vacuum mm, In this .mm'm y,

fit!

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paired or connected together under normal operating conditions. the relll'tlYl eoil arts as a shunt. otl'eriue' little in]- petlanee to the passage of line current and not allowing autlieieut current to pass through the remainder oi the circuit to cause a discharge arl'uHH the \HHHHH gap: thus normally the detector 8 is dark. that is. it does not glow.

lt'. however. a high treipleuey tllHlLlll'lHlllt' Line to a faulty feeder or to any other cause. filtnltltl oerur upon the primary circuit, then a current ol high frequency is likewise in :lueetl in the auxiliary circuit through the secondary 2. 'l'he reactive roil l now otters great ilnpeilunre to the pahflain'e of the inlured high l'retpwnov current and the high l'reiluency oscillation pass on through tlu remainder of the auxiliary circuit tlisrharg int: across the terminals -t of the highdrealiency detector 3. in the l Olltt ot a vieual ljuu h discharge. Dependent upon the tin ration of the high 'l'retpiency condition upon the line. the \ihual lll'llnll dis harge will \'ar. from a momentary [lash to a rontinuruls low.

The adaptahility ot 1l] protective device for detecting and irnlicatin; the occurrence of high fl'tfttllt*llt' tlisturhanem upon a trani mission Hyfittlll. =ltie to a faulty leeiler. 1% shown in Fig. 2 in which only one has 3 of .a three-phase transmission system in shown and only one phase of each of tour parallel l eetit'i's. these phases heing' Slltlllitt' ones and represented l| the conductors 15. and l) respr-ctirel). liarh ol the three phasea ot earh t'eetler has einhotlieil therein the novel t'eatures of my invention. hut. merely to simplify the drawin and descripti n. the protective tle\i('e' is shown as tllilK tllt l in only one phase. it being understood that the r e inaining phases are similar in every detail.

To accurately select a feeder of the trans iuiaeion hyfittlll which is at l'ault. due to an ill't'lttl' or metallic ground or to any condi lion upon the feeder causing high t'requein- \llhttll'llitlltt'h. the feeders ot' the system are i to ohtain :1 (iii t'erential action l)(l\\'ttll them. Such anarrangeuient is shown hr the wires 9 and '10 in the auxiliary circuit. which connect or pair the conductors and 13 together. that is. theeircuit through the secondary 2 is connected to the circuit through the serrtindary 2". ln :1 similar manner conductors and D are connected together by Wires 11 and 12.

Under normal operations, the direction of urrent flow through the conductors A. B. C and T) and hence through their rcepective primaries l. 1'. 1 and 1, is always the came at any one in taut. reversing in direc tion through ail the conductors according to the periodicity of the generating current. During normal operations therefore. according tothe connections shown, the anxiliar cirruih through the secondaries *2 and 2" and the auxiliary circuits through the secondaries 2 and '3" are connected so that the eleetroniotive forces. in each pair of circuits is in series conjunction, that is aid each other. The current flow in one circuit is from Stl'ttlitlttl' 2. through conductor it. StjlUlltltll'f 2 and conductor ltl to secoiulanv 2 and thecurrent in the other circui is l'roiu seeonilaia L". through roiul lietor ll. eeeondary 2". conductor 1; to secondary 2. There will he. theref re. no current liow through the detect rs 3, Ii". 3 antl 3 so that. under normal operations they will not glow.

Assume now that a fault occurs upon one of the parallel ftetlel'a ot the transmission system. for instance upon the conductor D and that such a fault ccurs in the manner oi" an arcing ground which causes upon the conductor l) a high frequency condition. 'hen this condition occur the direction of current flow at any one instant through the conductor l) is opposite to that, at the tlow in eoiuluctore B, and (T. and the amount of Current flowing in conductor D is apjll'tikilllztltlY three times the amount flowing in either ot the three other conductors. it

The occurrence of a fault upon the con-- dnctor D, such .as an arcing ground. would produce no effectin the auxiliary circuits of the conductors A and l'l as the currentq tend' ing to flow in their circuits are still in series conjunction and the current flow is through the same circuit as during normal operation. The high irequtmcr detectors ia and 3". therefore remain unaffected.

In the auxiliary circuits through the secondaries of conductors C and D. however. a .rhange of conditions has taken place. At any One instant, the current. flow in condom tor l) is different in direction troin'the c111? rent liow in conductor C and the amount of current flow is approximately three times that of conductor (1 The How of current, in the eomluetor C which is now of high frequeue in the direction of the arrow. This current induces in the secondary 22 n. high frequency current which flows in the auxiliary circuit in the direction of the arrow, through the resistance 7 and high frequency detector 3 discharging across the terminals in the f rm of a visual brush discharge. The flow of current in the conductor D is in the direction shown by the arrow and also of high frequency. This current induces in the secondary 2 a. current which flows in of the arromthrough the high frequency detector 3", discharging across its vacuum gap. Since the voltages induced in the secondaries 2 and QVare now in opposition, conductors 11 and 12 no longer act to conthe auxiliary circuit in the direction neet the two ai'ixiliary circuits and theretors 3 and 3 will be for all visual till As the flow of current in the auxiliary circuit of conductor D is approximately three times that of the flow in the auxiliary circuit through conductor Cand as this current is of high frequency caused by the arcing ground on the conductor D, the visual brush discharge across the vacuum gap of the detector 3" is practically three times greater and hence at least three times brighter than the discharge across the vacuum gap of the detector As the arcin ground causespractica'lly a continuous high frequency discharge the glow in the detecpurposes continuous.

It will thus be seen that in a transmission system embodying the novel features of my protective devi e that when a fault occurs upon a feeder of the system. it is detected and unmistakably indicated to the operator. By merely noticing the difference in the intrinsic brightness of the high frequency detectors. the feeder which is at fault can be easily distinguished and not only the faulty feeder but also the faulty phase of the feeder can be as easily distinguished as the detectors upon the phases other than the one upon which the fault occurs will be unaffected and will not glow.

I have described my protective device as including a visual high frequency detector, but instead of a visual detector. any other suitable form of detector may be used. In some cases, for example. it may be desirable to ha c both an audible and a visual detector present in -the system as shown in Fi 1. Such an audible detector might be abuzzcr or any suitable alarm bell included in a local circuit through a battery, which circuit; is closed to ring the alarm when a high frequency occurs upon the auxiliary circuit. i

The mind features of my invention. may be embodied in other forms than that shown and described. as will be suggested to one skilled in the art and I. therefore, do not wish to tie restricted to the specific arrangement shown. but intend to cover by the appended claims, all changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, i

1. The con nation with a line conductor. of an arcing, ground detector comprising. an auxiliary circuit arranged in series relation. with said lino conductor. a brush dis charging device in said circuit. and a r a Elf taoce shunting said device arranged to allow the passagr of current of normal frequency but to lIL-rce all current of the frequency caused by an arcing ground through devi e whereby an. arcing ground n Stllit said conductor is visually indicated.

L. In a system of distributnim. the comblillilllnl of a plurality of leaders and an auxiliary circuit in series relation with each of said feeders comprising. terminals mounted within 'an evacuated vessel to form a spark ap, and an inductance in shunt relation with said spark gap, said plurality of feeders being paired together through their respective auxiliary circuits to produce a differential action between them whereby said spark gaps are rendered unresponsive to normal conditions upon 'the feeders but rendered responsive to the occurrence of a high frequency condition upon a feeder to \isually indicate upon which feeder the high frequency condition occurs.

3,. In a system of distribution. the combination of a. plurality of feeders, and an auxiliary circuit in series relation with each of said feeders comprising, a high frequency indicator and an inductance in shunt relation with said indicator. said plurality of feeders being paired together through their respective auxiliary circuits to produce a di ferential action between them whereby said high frequency indicators are rendered unresponsive to normal conditions upon the feeders but rendered responsive to the occurrence of a high frequency condition upon a feeder to selectively indicate the feeder upon which the high frequency condition occurs.

4. In a system of distribution. the combination of a plurality of polyphase feeders. and an auxiliary circuit in series relation with each phase of each of said feeders com.- prising, a high frequency indicator, and an inductance in shunt relation with said indirator. said plurality of feeders having similar phases paired together through their respective auxiliary circuits to produce a differential action between them whereby said high frequency indicators are rendered unresponsive to normal conditions upon the phases of the feeders but rendered responsive to the occurrence 'of a high f quency condition upon any phase of any feeder to sele tively indicate not only the feeder but also the phase of the feedbr upon which the high frequency condition occurs.

5. lo a system of distribution. the combination of a plurality of pol-yphasc feeders, and an aukiliarv circuit in. series relation with each phase of said feeders comprisin a resistance. an inductance. and terminals mounted within an evacuated vessel to form a spark gap in series relation with said resistance and in shunt relation with said inductance. said plurality of fecdcrs having similar phases paired together through their respective auxiliary circuits to n'odurc. a. differential action between them whereby said spark gaps are rendered unresponsive to normal conditions upon the phases of the fccdcrs but rendered responsive to the occurrence of a high frequency condition upon any phase of any feeder to Usually indicate the phase of the feeder upon which the high frequency condition occurs.

6. In a system of distribution. the coinhination with a plurality of feeders. of means for selectively indicating the occurrence of a high frequency condition on any of said feeders comprising difi crentially operated indicating devices responsive to conditions on each of said feeders, and means in shunt to said devices for maintaining them normally inoperative but for ren: dcring them operative upon the occurrence of high frequency conditions to indicate the same.

T. In a system of distribution, the cone hination with a plurality of feeders, of high frequency indicators responsive to conditions on each phase of each feeder, a reactance in shunt to each indicator for rendering said indicator normally unresponsive hut, rcspousire on the occurrence of high "7 7 frequency conditions to indicate the same. and means for renderingthe indicators on similar phases of said feeders differentially acting whereby the feeder and phase on which a high frequency condition exists will be indicated.

8. in a system of distribution, the 8011b In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my I hand th 12th day of January, 1914.

ELMER E. F. CRETGHTON. itnesses BENJAMIN B. HULL, H LEN ORFORD. 

